Dear 2-6 Switzer Families,
We are extremely excited to be welcoming back additional groups of students over the next month. As Mr. Monroe’s letter indicated, our schedule for moving forward includes:
- November 2 – Grades 2, 3 and 4
- November 9 – Grades 5 and 6
We can’t wait! While we are anxious to have all students back in our school, we recognize the importance of a deliberate transition that follows our commitment to the health and safety of our students and staff.
Here are a couple of important details to note as we move forward.
Similar to kindergarten and first-grade, we will be using a hybrid model where your children will attend school for a half day of instruction Monday through Friday. The other half of the day, he/she will participate in remote learning. (See attached sheet).
Over the past few weeks, we have had parents ask us why we have chosen the hybrid model that has students attending each day, rather than alternate full days.
As educators, we recognize that developmentally our students need consistency with learning routines, socialization, and connecting with their teacher and classmates on a daily basis. A schedule that allows our teachers to work directly with students each day is academically stronger and better supports our school’s educational mission.
For the in-person instruction at school, students will be assigned either the AM session (8:20 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.) or the PM session (12:30 p.m. – 3:10 p.m.). Our goal is to have all classes balanced in a way that allows for every student’s needs to be met.
Your child’s teacher(s) and I will carefully discuss the needs and learning style of each student. The major factors we consider are as follows:
- Student ability levels and demonstrated daily achievement
- Number of students in each grouping
- Learning concerns or needs
- Families with multiple children
As educators, it is important we make informed decisions when preparing the class lists for the AM session and the PM session. Our decisions impact all members of your child's classroom. If you have any extenuating circumstances that you would like us to know as we place our students into the morning or afternoon sessions, please email me directly at jacob.palmer@uticak12.org before October 19.
All circumstances will be considered. However, we cannot guarantee that your request for student placement will be honored.
In the coming days and weeks, please look for future updates on topics such as AM or PM placement, in-person protocols, breakfast and lunch, transportation and other important information. Families seeking information on School Age Child Care should visit this link for more information: http://ucscommunityeducation.org/school_age_child_care
You may also find more information on an updated Parent Handbook for the K-12 transitions to in-person learning, available at this link.
On Monday, we welcomed back our kindergarten and first-grade students – the first to be in our school in six long months! With today’s announcement, we know that our goal of in-person learning for all of our students will shortly become a reality.
If you have any concerns regarding the transition to in-person learning, please feel free to reach out to me.
Looking forward to all the smiling faces!
Jacob Palmer